The present invention relates generally to bicycles and, more particularly, to a bicycle hub having an integral locking mechanism that cooperates with a bicycle parking stand or rack.
Automated bicycle rental systems have become increasingly popular. Such rental systems typically include a number of rental stations located across a city or other location. The rental stations typically include one or more bicycle stands for supporting a number of rentable bicycles. The bicycles are secured to the bicycle stands by a locking mechanism such that the bicycles are incapable of being removed until payment or identification for the rental of one of the bicycles is recognized.
The bicycle stands are in electronic communication with a rental kiosk or the like. User's of the rental system use the rental kiosk or other means to provide payment and/or identification information for renting of one of the bicycles for temporary use. Once the electronic means of the kiosk verifies the payment and/or identification, the kiosk enables the user the remove one of the bicycles secured to the bicycle stand by unlocking the locking mechanism. Thus, the user is free to take the bicycle and ride it around the city to go from place to place. When the user is finished riding the bicycle, he or she returns the bicycle to one of the bicycle stations and secures the bicycle to the bicycle stand for subsequent use by another user.
Known bicycle rental systems suffer from a number of disadvantages. For instance, such bicycle rental systems are susceptible to a great deal of wear and tear associated with the public use of the bicycles and bicycle stands of the bicycle rental systems. In addition, such publically located systems are susceptible to vandalism and theft. Further, such systems often require the users of the bicycles to lift or otherwise awkwardly manipulate the bicycles of the bicycle rental systems in order to engage or disengage the bicycle with the bicycle stand for storage or removal of the bicycle, respectively. Further, known bicycle rental systems often require relatively precise guidance of the bicycle with respect to the bicycle stand so as to engage the bicycle with the bicycle stand.
Thus, it is desired to provide an apparatus that overcomes at least one of the foregoing disadvantages.